Aerial target



AERIAL TARGET Filed Aug. 6, 1932 Patented Oct. 1933 l [WW This'invention relates tola'erial targets of the.- kind used in trap shooting and has for its object" to provide a target oithis'typewhich; when struck; by the shot, will have itsflight discontinued and.

fall- .totheground} butwhich shall not be destroyedpand shall-therefore be capable of reuse.

With this obje'ct in view the target consists of abody porti'oncomposed' of 'a-pluralityof parts}, preferably-two, which may, and preferably does have the general form" of the body of apigeon; the-parts when assiembledbeihg retained assembled position by any suitable readily disrupted means, combined with elements which when struckby the shot will operate to separate the The parts of the body portion maybeheld'togeth 1 erby'simple'pressure, or the line alongwhich the parts and thus cause-them to falltothe ground.

parts meet may be' suppliedswithsome readily clisruptedimaterial such asnam wax or glass; and

when two of the partsiare used to'make up the V body ofgthe target, said parts may be and preferably. are hinged together at a single-pointjto the endthat when they fall t'o the "ground the two parts will remain attached to each other, thus facilitating reassembling' thereoffor reuse; H

For the purpose of separating the parts'of the body whenla hit'is scoredgsuitablesmeans are provided,v which under the: impact of the shot, will act forciblyi to'separate the parts. ably'this is accomplished 'by a lever action, one

. arm of the lever being interposed between-stile i and extends half way around, either above or two sections ofnthe body portionand the other arm being placed in the line of the shotptothe' end that when the'shot strikes the last mentioned arm: the lever will be rocked on its fulcrum, and

thus effect the separation.off.the-'bodyparts by the action of the arm interposed between the parts.

Preferably the arm of thelever thus exposed to.

the action of the shot is semi-circular in form below the body of the target,the semi-circle being target a rearwardly tapering approximately of a slightly greater'ra'dius than the body of the target, to the end that the lever can rock on the target when struckby theshot. By providing a series of such levers, both above and below the body of the target,'and by,gi ving the body of the ment' of "such levers and the separation Prefer- To insurethat the arm of the lever ex-; posed to. the action .of' the shot shall not;move

conical form; shot striking on any part of; the

targetwill inevitably glance alongathe same so as to strike "and destroy the frangible material retaining the levers in place and cause the moveof, por

tions of the body as above described. :The invention may assume various forms and the inventive idea is capable of receiving avariety j of mechanical expressions, one of which, for th'e purpose of illustrating the invention, is shown m pressly understood that suchdrawing is for the purpose of illustration only and is not designed to define the limits of the invention, reference being had toth e appended claims for this purpose." In said drawing; I "Fig. l is a side elevation; Fig. 2 is a central 'vertical longitudinal section through thebo'dy of the'target;

(Fig. 3-is a verticalcross section 1me3 3 of Fig. 2;" v s 'Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section through the bodyioi "the target showing one means for uniting the body [sectionaand t Fig. 5 is a plan view of the target; with parts simulating the Wings of a bird, which are attached to. the body of a target like that shown in Fig. 1. In said drawing in which like reference numer als"re ier to likeparts throughout the several views, thebody of the targetis composed of an upper portion l similar to a lower portion 2. me'eting along the line 3 where they are held together in" any suitable way or anyjsuitable means which permit ready separation of the parts under the influence of the lever action hereinafter described. Preferably the parts are se cured togetheralong the line 3 by the useof wax, glass or brittle glue indicated at 4. When the partswl and 2; are assembled asshown in Figs. 1 and2, the body. tapers rearward from a taken on the point wellgtoward the front of the body; and a series of bales or arc-shaped lever arms 5 extend the accompanying drawing, but it is to be exfrom'the lineof separation 3, of the parts over I and-around the upper portion of the target and under. and around the lower portion thereof.

These bales or arc-,shapedplever'arms are each provided with an arm 5' located in the seam 3 extending. approximately at right anglesto the 'main portion of the arc-shaped portion of lever arms. 5. As hei'e shown, the parts' 5 on those levers which pass over the body portion extend rearward along the seam 3, while the arms 5 of the lever arms 5 that extend under the body one of the lever arms will causea rocking of l the lever on its fulcrum which, will cause the arm 5' thereof to force apart the portions 1 and 2 of the body, and such forward movement would be imparted to the lever arms when struck by the shot coming from the rear of the'target.

To insure that'the levers 55 shall remain inLtheir normal position until struck by theshot, suitable readily frangible material is employed to hold the levers .in normal position. As here shown, thismaterial takes the form of a body 6 of readilyfrangible wax or glass or brittle me;

whichisconncted to the lever arms 5 and-ex; tends vrearwardly therefrom, preferably tapering to the rear. When any shot (see '7, Fig. l) strike the body portion of the target or frangible material 6 they will glance along the target (which is preferably made of sheet met'alor other ma terialnot readily penetrated by the shot) and strike and thus disrupt the frangible material' and impinge'upon the lever arm 15,. forcing it forterial along the 'ne 3-and to the lever arm o,

- the-target isready for. use again.

upper and lowerzbod y portions 1 and 2 without the use of .frangible' 'sealing material is shown,

ifftarget, constructedas shown in Figs; 1 and 2 but said means consisting of a groove 9. formed in one of the bodyportionsinto which groove there snuglyiitsatongue lo 'formedjon the other body' portion, the snugness of the fit being sufficient to hold the parts assembleduntilyany one of the levers 5. 5 is rocked.- on 3 its fulcrum by" the force of an impinging shot.

. In'Fig. 5 there is illustrated f'the ha of as provided with two horizontally extending oppositely disposed wings" 1 1, to which wings there is:v rigidly attached a series ofrearwardly extending wires; 12.. Preferably, though not necessarily,

- each of these Wings is connected, as at 13, to: the

lever arm 5 immediately in the. rear thereof.

Preferably, the'sewing portions 11 consists ofa' rigid bar ofmetai firmly secured to the for wardly tapering' portion of: the body and when either one of the wings 11= or'any of the series of rearwardly extending. wires '12, rigidly secured:

thereto, are struck by a shot, the impact of the shot will give a jar or forward. movement to the upper. portion of the body, tending to separate said upper [portion "from the" lower portion to produce the fall oi -the'target. In .this Fig. 515' also shown the} usual or any suitable tall or rudder piece for holding the target} in a proper forward line of flight.

' While for the purpose of the target, it win bereadily understood that fsaid parts when-a hit is scored.

I of clearly illustrating theinvention, the drawings only showthree' of. the levers 5-5 above-and three below the'body posed of a pluralityof parts, means normally holding said parts together, and means actuated by the, impact shot for forcibly separating said parts-when the target is hit. I

2. In .anQaerial targetfa body portion composed of a plurality of. parts, means normally holding said parts together, and a plurality of levers operable by a shot "to forcibly separate 3. In an aerial target, a body portion composedofv a plurality-of parts, readily frangible means normally holding said parts together, and means actuated by the impact of shot for forcibly separating said parts when the target is hit.

4 In an aerial target, a-body portion composedjoffla plurality, "of parts, readily frangible means'normally holding said parts together, and a plurality of levers operable by a'shot, to forcibly separate said parts when a hit is scored."

.55 5. In an; aerial target, a body-yportion composed of 'ayplurality of, parts, imeansnormally holding said. parts together, andia plurality of levers acting to separate saidparts, when actuated by a shot scoring a'hit, saidllevers having jRe f erringto l ig; 4, a means of uniting the one armpartially encircling said body portion and the other arm-interposed between the parts of said body portion.

levers operable bynaz-shot to separate saidparts wliena hit is scored, and frangible means holda ing' said levers in normal position.

, 7-. Inan aerial target, a 'bodylhaving a rearwardly tapering, portion, said ;body being of upper,.- and. lower, separableparts, means normallyholding said parts. togetherv and a series of levers each of which has two arms interposed bet'weensa-id body parts andanother arm passing partially around said body from one ofsaid first mentioned armsto the otherf 8;. In an. aerial .target,'a body having a rearwardly tapering, portion, saidbody'being of uptwo normally connected but separable parts, a,

pair. of laterally,extendingelements connected to' one of said parts, talever operable to separate said,parts, =and connections between said elements and said-lever whereby when ahit is scored on one or both ofsaid elements said body parts are'separate'd.

. WALTER G.-WARREN. 

